Sunday, June 30, 2013

In January, I promised a good deal of you that I would write again regularly. It was my New Year Resolution.

Yeah, well resolutions are made to be broken, and sometimes life gets in the way.

Our move to Nevada has been hard. A lot, lot, lot stinking harder than I ever thought it would be. We've dealt with the usual "new surroundings" stuff, but I've also had a harder than usual time making friends. The kids have had a harder-than-I-could-have-imagined time adjusting to the weather, and a new house, and "why can't we just go see Aunt Jessi and Sammah and Aidan and I MISS THEM." My husband moved around much of his school aged life, and even he said that this move was one of his hardest. I could write an entire book on how hard it was for me to leave Lawrence. Needless to say, I haven't felt particularly funny or had anything that I considered exciting and fun to write about. I sat at home a lot, we tried to discover the city on weekends when Hub was home, but mostly we just existed.

And then, my mama came to visit. And I told her how hard it was and that I hated it and why cant I just come home with you? And, instead of saying "Yeah! You should! Let's do it!", she said something different. She told me that even life in Larrytown would have changed had I stayed. The close friends I have there have children of their own, and they all go to different schools and like to do different things. They are all growing up, which means we all would spend less time together and more time chasing our children's dreams. Our families are also doing the same stuff--my brothers and sisters have kids and are more busy now, which means less time on weekends to get together. Same for John's family. Same for my friends' jobs' and things they are passionate about. "Lindsey, life is constantly changing. How you choose to deal with the change is what makes life exciting, and fun, and worth living."
I really enjoyed my time with my mom, and I bawled like crazy when she left. But her words hang in the air around here, and have left marks on my heart. And so, I started trying to look at Las Vegas as an exciting time in our life, and not a sad lonely place where we don't know anyone. I started inviting people I have met to do things, and they said yes! I began embracing the crazy and weird and madly interesting city I live in. Before, I'd just assume there was no sense of community here, and now I seek it out. It's made all the difference in the world.

I still love Kansas and my family and I always, always will. If there comes an opportunity for us to get closer to home, we will probably take it. But for now, I've chosen happiness here in this strange city. It doesn't quite feel like "home" yet, but who knows. Maybe someday it will.

And now, he's some photos of some of the fun things we've done since I changed my perspective. :)

The kids and I at the Bellagio Conservatory celebrating Chinese New Year. That picture is made of only flowers.

I am a sort of hip, sort of cool, Midwest-transplanted-to-Vegas stay at home mom, with two really well behaved kids. Okay...mostly behaved kids....*sigh* okay they are bad sometimes...geez, get over yourself. Nobody's perfect.